Name __________________________________________ Date___________ Section__________

Egypt: The Gift of the Nile

Document Based Question

The question is based on the accompanying documents on the following pages. This
question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of
these have been edited for the purpose of this task. As you analyze the documents, take
into account both the source of the document and any point of view that may be
presented in the document.

Directions:
Analyze the documents and answer the questions that follow each document.
Read the essay question and plan your essay using two column notes.
Write a well-organized essay that includes an introductory paragraph, a body
with several paragraphs explaining and supporting your answer, and a concluding
paragraph.
Use evidence from the documents to support your essay.
Include specific related outside information in your essay.

Historical Context:
The waters of the mighty Nile River allowed the otherwise dry land of Egypt to
become a cradle for one of the worlds greatest ancient civilizations. For tens of
thousands of years the focal point of Egyptian life has been the Nile. Egypt is
truly the gift of the Nile.

Task:

For Part A, read each document carefully and answer the question or questions after
each document. Then read the directions for Part B and write your essay.

For Part B, use your answers from Part A, information from the documents, and your
knowledge of social studies to write a well-organized essay. In the essay you will be
asked to:

Name three gifts the Nile River gave to the Ancient Egyptians.
Describe how each of these gifts improved life in Ancient Egypt.
PART A

The documents that follow relate information about Egypt. Examine each document
carefully and then answer the question(s) that follow it. These answers will help you in
Part B.

Document 1

1990 Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of Africa.

Topographically, the country can be divided into four regions.
(1.) Wagh al-Bahari or lower Egypt, which is the broad alluvial Nile Delta.
(2.) The Western Desert which is an arid region covered by vast rolling plains of
sand, shifting dunes and large depressions.
(3.) The Eastern Desert or Arabian Desert, which is an elevated plateau broken by
deep valleys.
(4.) The Sinai Peninsula that is separated from the bulk of Egypt by the Suez Canal
and the Red Sea. The Sinai is a desert region with mountains rising in the south.

The Nile River is not only the lifeline of Egypt, it is also the longest river in Africa.
The country's largest lake is the manmade Lake Nasser and others include
Menzaleh, Brullos, Idku and Mariut. Major Cities (pop. est.); Cairo 6,849,000,
Alexandria 3,382,000 (1994). Land Use; agricultural-cultivated 3%, urban,
wasteland and other 97% (1993).

1. What is the lifeline of Egypt? ___________________________________________

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2. What percentage of Egypts land is cultivated for farming? ____________________

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3. Where does most of the population in Egypt live and why? ____________________

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 Document 2

Irrigation existed in Egypt around the time of the

unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Irrigation
allowed the waters of the Nile River to be
directed farther inland by way of irrigation
ditches, or channels dug into the ground. This
meant that more as well as better crops could be
grown.

http://www.horus.ics.org.eg/html/the_nile_river.html

Agriculture in Egypt is almost totally dependent on the Nile. The fertile strip of the Nile offers
the only possible resource. The people congregated on the steep banks of the river despite its
annual floods and shifting marshlands. The dependency on the Nile is not only for the
irrigation necessary to raise crops, but also for the topsoil deposited annually by the floods.
Every year from July to October the Nile River valley is gradually flooded. Its annual cycle of
flooding and the depositing of silt create a new layer of topsoil each year. This topsoil is rich in
organic nutrients and nitrogen. By October the waters begin to recede, leaving behind pools
of water in depressed areas of the floodplain. After the water subsides enough to let the
remaining water be absorbed by the soil, the Egyptians would plant their crops in the mud.
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/stc-link/AE/technical.html

1. What farming technique is the picture showing? ____________________________

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2. Why did farmers in Ancient Egypt use this technique? ________________________

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3. Why did the flooding of the Nile River benefit the farmers? ____________________

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Document 3

Excerpt from Hymn to the Nile

c. 2100B.C.

Hail to you, O Nile!

Who shows itself over this land,
and comes
To give life to Egypt!
Mysterious is your pouring forth
from darkness,
On this day that we celebrate!

Water the orchards created by Ra,

to cause all the cattle to live,
You give the earth [water] to
drink, eternal one!
Path that descends from the sky
you cause the workshops
to prosper!

2002 McMillan/McGraw-Hill

1. What is one gift the Egyptians thanked the Nile for? _________________________

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2. Based on the land surrounding the Nile River, describe why the Ancient Egyptians

claim that the Nile gives life to Egypt. _____________________________________

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1995 Kids Discover

Although most stone was quarried at Giza, some had to be transported to the site along
the Nile. Yellowish limestone was used for the core of the pyramids, while the internal
burial chamber was lined with massive granite blocks. Originally, the pyramids were
encased in lighter limestone but this was plundered over the years to provide building
materials for Cairo.

http://www. culturefocus.com/egypt.htm

1. Where did the Ancient Egyptians get most of the stone for the pyramids? ___________

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2. How did the Nile help in building the pyramids? _______________________________

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Document 5

The sun and the river, which together formed the dominating cause of existence, made a
profound impression on the people. They were two natural forces with both creative and
destructive power. For the life-giving rays of the sun that caused the crop to grow could
also cause it to shrivel and die. And the river that invigorated the soil with its life-giving silt
could destroy whatever lay in its path or, if it failed to rise enough, bring drought. The sun
and the river, moreover, shared in the pattern of death and rebirth: the sun died when it
sank on the western horizon only to be reborn in the eastern sky the following morning.
And the death of the land followed by the germination or rebirth of the crops each year
were directly connected with the rivers annual flood. Rebirth was, therefore a central
feature of the Egyptian scene. It was seen as a natural sequence to death and undoubtedly
lay at the root of the ancient Egyptian conviction of life after death. Like the sun and the
crops, man, they felt assured, would rise again to live a second life.

http://carbon.cudenver.edu/stc-link/AE/culture.html#RELIGION
Ancient Egypt - Culture

1. Why did the sun and river together make a profound impression on Ancient Egyptians?

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2. What ancient Egyptian belief did the sun and river lay at the root of? ___________

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3. Why was the sun and river probably the reason Ancient Egyptians had this belief?

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Document 6

. . . These women are watering their livestock and doing the laundry. The Nile is still
the most important thing in their lives, it is their source of life giving water and today it
is also their washing machine. Behind them are the crops that their village relies on, in
these fields is where you will find the men of the village hard at work. The mud brick
home is similar to those built by their ancestors. Behind the tree line you can see the
cliffs that mark the edge of the western desert, this was Egypt's best defense against
invaders from the west. This thin strip of land that you see between the river and the
cliffs is typical of the amount of land that the Egyptians had to live on.

1996 Deurer
All Rights Reserved.

1. What are the women doing in the picture? ____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ [1]

2. Name two ways life in Egypt today is similar to life in Ancient Egypt. _____________

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______________________________________________________________________ [2]
Document 7

The Nile River

The Nile River was the source of life itself in Ancient Egypt. It is the longest river in the
world covering a length of 4,145 miles.

The Nile provided food for Egyptians. Geese and Pin-tail ducks were a favorite food for
wealthy Egyptians. The Nile was plentiful with fish, which were considered unclean to
wealthy Egyptians, so they never ate fish. Poor Egyptians sometimes had no choice and
had to eat fish. Because of the Nile these things were available. Near oases date palms,
grapevines, and fig trees grew. An oasis is a fertile area in a desert where plants are able
to grow. Underground water comes close enough to the surface for springs and wells to
exist.

Egyptians also used the Nile River for transportation. Egyptians traveled by boat along the
Nile. The Ancient Egyptians used the boats to carry goods like food and clothing to their
homes. W hen building a pyramid, the boats would carry limestone to where the pyramid
was being built. When the pharaoh died and his body was ready, the funeral barge carried
the pharaoh's sarcophagus and his belongings to the pyramid.

The Egyptians used their gifts wisely. Here the fertile river banks contrasted the barren
deserts, floods, droughts, black land, and red land. They managed to build an organized
civilization.

http://www.museum.state.il.us/mic_home/schools98/puffer/project/Water.html

1. Using the above document, name two gifts of the Nile. __________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ [1]

2. Explain one way Egyptians use the gifts of the Nile wisely. ______________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________ [2]
PART B

Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and

a conclusion. Use evidence from at least four documents in the body of the essay.
Support your response with relevant facts, examples, and details. Include relevant
outside information.

Historical Context:
The waters of the mighty Nile River allowed the otherwise dry land of Egypt to
become a cradle for one of the worlds greatest ancient civilizations. For tens of
thousands of years the focal point of Egyptian life has been the Nile. Egypt is truly
the gift of the Nile.

Task:
Using information from the documents and your knowledge of social studies,
write an essay in which you:

Name three gifts the Nile River gave to the Ancient Egyptians.
Describe how each of these gifts improved life in Ancient Egypt.

Guidelines:

In your essay, be sure to:

Address all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at
least four documents.
Incorporate information from the documents in the body of the essay.
Incorporate relevant outside information.
Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details.
Use a logical and clear plan of organization.
Introduce the theme and conclude with a summation of the theme.

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 DBQ Essay Response Grading Rubric
Your DBQ essay response will be rated a 0-5 according to the scale below.

To earn a 5, the DBQ essay:

Thoroughly addresses all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting
at least four of the documents
Includes information from the documents in the body of the essay, but does not copy document
Includes relevant outside information
Richly supports essay with relevant facts, examples, and details
Is a well-developed essay, consistently demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
Includes a strong introduction and conclusion

To earn a 4, the DBQ essay:

Addresses all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least four of the documents
Includes information from the documents in the body of the essay, but does not copy document
Includes some relevant outside information
Includes relevant facts, examples, and details, but discussion may be more descriptive than analytical
Is a well-developed essay, demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
Includes a good introduction and conclusion

To earn a 3, the DBQ essay:

Addresses most aspects of the Task or addresses all aspects in a limited way; using some of the documents
Includes some information from the documents in the body of the essay
Includes limited or no relevant outside information
Uses some facts, examples, and details, but discussion is more descriptive than analytical
Is a satisfactorily developed essay, demonstrating a general plan of organization
Restates the theme in the introduction and concludes with a simple restatement of the theme

To earn a 2, the DBQ essay:

Attempts to address some aspects of the Task, making limited use of the documents
Includes no relevant outside information
Includes few facts, examples, and details; simply restates contents of the documents
Is a poorly organized essay, lacking focus
Has vague or missing introduction and/or conclusion

To earn an 1, the DBQ essay:

Shows limited understanding of the Task with vague, unclear references to the documents
Includes no relevant outside information
Uses little or no accurate or relevant facts, details, or examples
Attempts to complete the Task, but essay demonstrates a major weakness in organization
Has vague or missing introduction and/or conclusion

To earn a 0, the DBQ essay:

Fails to address the question
Is illegible
Is missing; a blank paper is handed in
 Common Core State Standards Addressed

English Language Arts Standards/History/Social Studies Grades 6-8

Key Ideas and Details
RH.6-8.1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide
an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure
RH.6-8.4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.6-8.7.Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with
other information in print and digital texts.
RH.6-8.8.Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9.Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RH.6-8.10.By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades
68 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

English Language Arts Standards/History/Social Studies Grades 9-10

Key Ideas and Details
RH.9-10.1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources,
attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
RH.9-10.2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide
an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure
RH.9-10.4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.
RH.9-10.5.Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation
or analysis.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.9-10.8.Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the authors
claims.
RH.9-10.9.Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary
sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RH.9-10.10.By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the
grades 910 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

English Language Arts Standards/History/Social Studies Grades 11-12

Key Ideas and Details
RH.11-12.1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources,
connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
RH.11-12.2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and
ideas.
Craft and Structure
RH.11-12.5.Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key
sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.11-12.9.Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a
coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.